


Wish Upon a Falling Star

by LaDragonaria



Series: Adios, Despair! [7]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hope/Comfort am I right, Humor, M/M, Oral Sex, Slow Burn, no such thing as despair, talentswap au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-08-29 07:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8481382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDragonaria/pseuds/LaDragonaria
Summary: (A talentswap AU, where almost everyone's SHSL titles are switched around)
Sakakura Juzo has always had a unique ability to be unlucky for others, ironic considering he is the SHSL Lucky Student. He seems to be something of a "luck sponge", taking good luck from others and leaving them with bad luck. As such, being close to others has always been difficult, let alone finding a boyfriend of his own.
His admission into Hope's Peak Academy has led to him meeting his biggest hero, Munakata Kyosuke - the SHSL Idol - and leader of the super popular boy band Zenith.
As much as he wants to get closer to his idol and get to know him better, he's afraid his unlucky abilities will ultimately bring disaster on Munakata and his group. But Munakata finds himself drawn to Sakakura all the same. Can Munakata survive "the Sakakura Curse"...?





	1. (Un)Lucky Star

**Author's Note:**

> For plot purposes, classes 74, 77, and 78 are all attending school at the same time... I haven't really decided what years everyone's in yet, just that it's more fun when they're all together.
> 
> Sakakura Juzo - SHSL Lucky Student, (almost SHSL Boxer)  
> Munakata Kyosuke - SHSL Idol  
> Yukizome Chisa - SHSL Detective
> 
> Kirigiri Kyoko - SHSL Nurse  
> Asahina Aoi - SHSL Clairvoyant  
> Naegi Makoto - SHSL Housekeeper  
> Sonia Nevermind - SHSL Breeder  
> Hagakure Yasuhiro - SHSL Prince (save us all)
> 
> Nidai Nekomaru - SHSL Class President / SHSL Masseuse  
> Ishimaru Kiyotaka - SHSL Yakuza  
> Owada Mondo - SHSL Gambler  
> Tanaka Gundam - SHSL Writer  
> Komaeda Nagito - SHSL Lucky Student (because reasons)
> 
> Other characters and their SHSL titles to be added at later times  
> Sex will happen in later chapters and I'll mark them as NSFW in the beginning

_Hope's Peak Academy... blah blah blah, best and brightest, hope this, hope that..._

_You get the picture._

_My name is Sakakura Juzo. And up until about a year ago, I was poised to become the Super High School Level Boxer. Scouts from Hope's Peak had already been hounding me, it was a whole thing... Really embarrassing. My parents loved the idea though._

_But, in a weird twist of fate, I ended up at Hope's Peak as the Super High School Lucky Student that year._

_I know, I know. How's a Boxer become the Lucky Student?_

_...Truth is, I'm not really lucky. Or... not on my own, I mean._

_I guess it first started with my birth. April 14th. I was actually supposed to be born on the 13th, and my mom went into labor that day... It was just after midnight or so when I was born, so April 14th._

_Even so, they named me "Juzo"... with the characters for "13"._

_I don't know how, or why, but... Some cosmic deity must have it out for me because ever since then... I've been a luck sponge. I'm not unlucky for myself, if that makes sense. I cause bad luck for other people. My parents, for whatever reason, seem immune._

_But... What I've noticed is, when I touch people, I seem to get much luckier. And they get unluckier. People have called me a bad omen, or a jinx for as long as I can remember. I've been called cursed, hexed, a portent of disaster... My nickname used to be "Black Cat Juzo", which is fucking stupid and whoever came up with it should be shot. Maybe I'll find them and shake their hand, and we'll see how it goes from there._

_The reason I'm not a Boxer anymore is because... I can't really touch people without giving them bad luck._

_I didn't really notice it when I was first starting out, because I was dealing with nobodies. But when you start beating people who have paparazzi following them around, then you read some of the stories. One opponent I beat got hit by a car. Another got mugged at knifepoint. One's wife left him. One got stranded on a desert island - don't ask me, I have no fucking idea how or why. And one person fell down an elevator shaft._

_Stories like that popped up so often, and people heard about my reputation, so naturally people blamed me. I was a weird sideshow attraction for a while, and even a few occult magazines carried the story about me and the "Sakakura Curse"... It got harder and harder to find people who'd agree to fight me, and soon... No matter how much I'd trained for it, no matter how much I'd wanted it... I had to give up the dream of being a professional Boxer._

_It... wasn't a great time for me. Things got pretty dark._

_And through it all, the only thing that really made it easier was... The Idol group known as Zenith. I know, that sounds fucking childish, but... they're a boy band. The leader of it is the Super High School Level Idol, Munakata Kyosuke. I've... been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. He's been... famous since he was little. And of course he was going to end up at Hope's Peak._

__

_Zenith... and Munakata... gave me Hope. I always felt like I could be someone because of them. Even if my other dreams were unrealistic... Even when I realized I liked guys... Even after the world turned away from me. It always felt like they were there for me. So... I wanted to meet them. And say thank you._

__

_And... they do say that if you graduate from Hope's Peak, your future is guaranteed. I've... I've never had that kind of good luck come my way. Nothing so certain, at least. So... maybe it's true? Maybe if I made it there, I could meet my Idol and find a new dream?_

_I... I did a bad thing._

_I had to meet him. If even once. So... being a luck sponge, I went around all day one day, pushing past people, bumping into them, shaking hands... Covertly absorbing all the luck I could. And I entered the lottery that Hope's Peak holds for potential students. With all the luck I could find at my disposal, I entered. And I won._

_And here I am... And Munakata's here too._

_I know I'm going to pay for all of that bad karma somehow, but..._

_Things... Things might finally be looking up for me!_

~ ~ ~

...

Hope's Peak Academy was lively. Always lively.

Having so many people with so many special abilities probably didn't help that.

He was lucky, though. At least this time. He'd been accepted to Hope's Peak, and put in the same class as Munakata. Unsurprisingly, though, his reputation as bad luck had followed him.

It probably didn't help that everyone else made such a big fuss about it. Some people were nervous about even being in the same room as him, but thankfully he'd made friends with Yukizome, the Super High School Level Detective... and through her, he'd made other friends.

It... was obvious to her keen eyes that he was crushing on Munakata, hard. 

Meeting him was a dream come true. He only hoped he didn't bring too much misfortune to her.

Their table in the dining hall was... always noisy.

"You gotta eat more, Mister Boxer." Yukizome practically shovels food onto his plate.

"...I'm not a Boxer." He says plainly as he looks at it all. Of course, they're Munakata's favorite foods, not his.

"Yeah, but you train hard as if you were one! So, you've gotta eat like one!"

"...The food looks good, Yukizome." Munakata smiles across the way. "Is there any left?"

"Oh, darn. I just gave the last of it to Sakakura... Maybe he wants to share?"

...

So that was her plan.

"...Yeah, that's fine. Just... don't blame me if you get bad luck eating off my plate." He says sliding his plate closer to Munakata so he can take some of the food off.

He gives Yukizome a glare, but she smiles and pats him on the shoulder. Either she's brave, or stupid.

"...Looks good, but I think we need someone to purify all that bad juju and shit." Owada Mondo, SHSL Gambler, talks like some kind of roughneck but he's part of Munakata's group.

"The hands of fate look upon this offering and find it... lacking. Ablutions and holy fire are needed to cleanse this plate!" Tanaka Gundam, SHSL Writing Prodigy, is the strange one in the band.

"I didn't offer food to either of you. Get your own."

"I'll take some." Komaeda Nagito, who's the SHSL Lucky Student from another year happily takes some even though none was offered to him. "I don't fear your bad luck... Someone as worthless as me could only ever rely on their own good luck! Even Sakakura's skills surpass my own! Any way you look at it, a worthless person like me couldn't have any other talents after all..."

...And unsurprisingly, the food he takes with his chopsticks falls on the floor.

"...Looks your good luck saved you." Sakakura deadpans.

"I'm sure that's just a fluke!" Komaeda laughs. Never mind. This one is the strange one in the group.

"...We're still missing some people." Kirigiri, SHSL Nurse, has always been level-headed.

"Hey, Sakakura! Do you want your fortune read?" Asahina laughs and looks to him. Her crystal ball has her fingerprints all over it... It's... definitely glass.

"...Let me guess, bad luck?"

"H-How did you know?!"

"Gee, I must be the Clairvoyant now." Sakakura rolls his eyes.

"No way, that's my title!" She gasps.

"Where's Nidai?" Yukizome looks around. Class President Nidai Nekomaru was obviously missing.

"Unacceptable!" Ishimaru Kiyotaka, SHSL Yakuza, slams the table. He's the loud one of Munakata's band. Or... He's the other loud one, next to Nidai. "Punctuality is the most important quality in a class president! ...He'll be missing a pinky by the day's end!"

"Dude probably flushed himself down the toilet, bro." Mondo laughs.

"Do not be so coarse!" Ishimaru snaps at him.

"His destiny is in his own hands..."

"I'm pretty sure he's not holding his destiny if you know what I mean." Owada laughs again.

"If you do not cease that vulgarity, I will have your pinky as well!"

"Bro, relax. Aren't you surrounded by yakuza all day? What the fuck do you think they're like all day?"

"Those who fall under the auspices of the Ishimaru Clan know how to keep proper decorum. And those lacking fingers... know better than all."

"...You're scaring me, bro."

"If it comes to it, simply wash his mouth out with soap." Munakata says blankly. "He still needs his fingers."

"Understood, boss." Ishimaru smirks to Owada. "Then your punishment will be painful but non-lethal."

"No offense, bro, but go to hell. There's no fucking way that's happening."

"Predicting Owada's future..." Asahina stares into the crystal ball. "...I think Sakakura's bad luck and Komaeda's good luck are messing with my readings."

"Readings?" Yukizome stares.

"I doubt it's anything so scientific." Kirigiri smiles to herself.

Munakata, Nidai, Ishimaru, Owada, Tanaka, and Komaeda... Together they formed the "SHSL Boy Band" Zenith.

Sakakura had assumed that their personalities were greatly exaggerated for the sake of standing out. And they were popular for it. But... it turned out it wasn't an act. They really were that weird. So many dreams shattered...

Still... Munakata was the one he was interested in. And if he was that much like his Idol persona... then he was happy. He got the feeling that it was Munakata's influence that pulled them together as a cohesive unit. Otherwise, the uniqueness of each of the members would have pulled them apart long ago.

Even now, going to their shows, Sakakura really did expect them to fracture off and do their own thing.

Sakakura was worried about them. They were all just so fucking weird.

"It's delicious, Yukizome." Munakata smiles. "And, thank you Sakakura for sharing."

"...You're... You sure you're going to be okay?" He looks to him, concerned.

"Of course. I don't believe in good or bad luck."

"Mm... I don't either. Something so fickle, so worthless... Nothing would compare to an actual talent..." Komaeda is off in his own pity party now.

"...I'll walk you back to your dorm. Just in case." Sakakura says, dubiously. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"That only happens sometimes." Ishimaru laughs to himself.

"And it's not your fault." Asahina smiles. She's... begun sticking good luck talismans to his coat. "No! Your luck... It's repelling them!"

The talismans are falling off his jacket.

"...Actually, it's because there's no adhesive element to the talismans." Kirigiri notes. "You're pressing pieces of paper onto him... Of course they won't stick."

"Am I cursed now?!"

"Curses are as unproven as the talismans. You'll be fine, supposing you don't break your crystal ball." Yukizome laughs.

"Fools! A crystal ball can't break that easily! Watch!"

Asahina raises the crystal ball high into the air and slams it onto the table. Everyone immediately covers their eyes. 

Because it is glass, and not crystal, it shatters into a million pieces all over the table and the food.

"..."

"Foul demon of the night winds!" Tanaka leaps back from the table.

"You got it in the food!" Owada howls.

"Give me your hand! No more pinky for you, young lady!"

"It's not my fault! Sakakura cursed me!!"

Kirigiri groans and pulls Asahina aside so she can disinfect and wrap her hand which has begun to bleed from broken glass.

Slowly, Naegi Makoto, SHSL Housekeeper, begins to sweep up the glass and throw away the food. There's always something to clean with these idiots around.

Sakakura facepalms quietly.

Munakata stands and makes his way over to Sakakura as they get out of Naegi's way. Ishimaru is helping him clean, as is Yukizome.

"...Are you ready to go?" He asks placing his hand on Sakakura's shoulder.

Having the man he has a crush on touch him is... scary and amazing, in a bunch of different ways.

"Y-You shouldn't be touching me. Something bad is going to happen."

He smiles, and Sakakura can't tell if it's Munakata's actual smile or the careful mask of an Idol that he's crafted over the years. Either way he... is happy.

"Then it's a good thing you're here to protect me."


	2. Black Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sonia Nevermind - SHSL Breeder (basically Snow White)  
> Hagakure Yasuhiro - SHSL Prince (that poor unnamed country)  
> Tsumiki Mikan - SHSL Traditional Dancer (only graceful when dancing)  
> Koizumi Mahiru - SHSL Team Manager (because that's who she is as a person)  
> Soda Kazuichi - SHSL Swimming Pro (because sharks are also captivated by Miss Sonia)
> 
> ...
> 
> I'm also very torn between making Celeste the SHSL Wrestler or the SHSL Confectioner. I... I really enjoy the thought of her giving Hifumi a German Suplex is that wrong?!

Sakakura, at the age of six or seven, is holding his father's hand as they walk through the office. Everyone is so tall.

His father is an ordinary businessman, and this is where he works. He'd wanted to show him the office, or that was what he said.

All the ladies in the office are cooing at him which is strange. He shyly presses against his father's leg, which only makes it worse.

"And who's this little man?" A balding middle-aged man, a little older than his own father smiles down at him. He... seems nice?

"This is my son, Juzo." Juzo's father turns to him. "This is my boss here at work."

"Oh... Little Sakakura..." The man crouches down. "Hello, there, Juzo."

"...Hello." He says quietly.

"Juzo, shake the man's hand. Remember? Like we practiced."

Juzo, who doesn't know any better, politely moves closer and offers his hand. And the man shakes his hand, as Juzo tightens his grip.

"My, that's quite a grip you've got there. What are you going to be when you grow up?"

"I'm gonna be a boxer!" Juzo says confidently. "...Dad says I gotta learn how to shake an opponent's hand."

"Well! A boxer..." The man smiles and stands up, releasing the handshake. "I pray we never meet in the ring, my boy!"

...

And that was what his father had taught him. Always shake the hand of an opponent. Because... "That's how you win right away, Juzo!"

...

"How was work?" Juzo's mother says in a cheerful voice.

"Finally worked out! I was afraid it wasn't going to happen..." His father says loudly before sinking into an armchair in the living room.

Juzo plays with some toy on the floor in their living room.

His father reaches down and ruffles his son's hair. This was where they always were when they'd watch boxing matches on TV together.

"Then, you're the new section chief?"

"That's right. Section Chief Sakakura..." His father laughs. "It took longer than I thought it would. Almost a week. I was starting to worry his power wasn't working anymore."

"So... What happened?" His mother leans in and sits on the arm of the armchair.

"The guy's daughter drowned in a boating accident. Poor man retired early... And I got his job, of course~"

It feels strange to hear people talk about death and be so happy. They'd had a class goldfish that had died, and everyone had been very sad. Once, a teacher's sister had died in a motorcycle accident and she had left halfway through the year. Death had always been something sad before this.

"...Whose daughter drowned?" Juzo looks up at his parents.

"Do you remember my boss? The man whose hand you shook?" His father smiles down at him.

"Yeah. He seemed nice." Juzo hasn't put the pieces together yet. But suddenly, he realizes, it must be his old boss's daughter. "Oh. That's sad. He was nice... I feel bad for him..."

"Don't feel too sorry for him. He'd always make your old man do whatever he didn't want to do. Not anymore! Karma can bite pretty hard."

"Karma...?" He slowly realizes that... he must be the karma. Then...

. . .

_The first time I learned about my bad luck was... Well, my parents telling me about it and why I couldn't have pets growing up is one of my first memories. Shit, is that really my first memory?!_

_My parents could hold me just fine. I... I have no idea why. Maybe because I'm half of each of them? My grandparents were also fine, but cousins... not really. I really don't get it myself._

_But even when I was still a baby, there would be a nurse who'd hold me and then she'd twist her ankle. Or a friend of my dad's who'd pick me up and he'd get a flat tire. I don't know if any of that's true. It's stories my parents would tell me. It's possible I was fine until I was little and grew into it...?_

_I think when I was little it was easier. But as I got older, sometimes things were more extreme. But... I never really knew what was going to happen or how bad it would be._

_Someone who used to be my best friend broke his leg after playing tag. But my dad's old boss lost his daughter. I never really know who's going to be affected or how badly until it does._

_...And..._

_So, I just don't want people to touch me. It's best for everyone. But..._

_My parents did teach me that even an unlucky ability can have its uses. I just wish it hadn't been so easy for them to use me as a weapon. That's just the kind of people they are. And... It's why I live in the dorms now._

~ ~ ~

"Oh, my! They are rather good!" Sonia says starry-eyed watching Zenith practice their dance moves. In her lap, Tanaka's hamsters are snoozing pleasantly. As the SHSL Breeder, she has some kind of... unique siren ability to captivate animals. Tanaka's hamsters are completely helpless before her. "...Such grace and elegance."

"...Like, I don't know who you're watching." Prince Hagakure watches skeptically. "They're kind of all over the place, right?"

Sakakura watches with the two of them. Asahina and Yukizome are by his side. There's also Koizumi Mahiru, the SHSL Team Manager there, watching with something of a scowl. And Tsumiki Mikan, SHSL Traditional Dancer, there to supervise. 

And somewhere... Soda Kazuichi, the SHSL Swimming Pro is lusting after Sonia from afar.

"You keep stepping too close!" Ishimaru snaps at Owada.

"Then get your clumsy ass outta my spot, bro!"

"...Are they really 'bros'...?" Hagakure mutters. "I don't know if I've ever seen a relationship like theirs."

"It is a love-hate relationship!" Sonia says confidently. "Such is the stuff of many beautiful dramas!"

"...Yeah, I don't know if that's what's happening here. They mostly just argue. It's kind of like when the Minister of Defense slaps the Minister of Agriculture and then they duel with swordfish."

"...Not regular swords?" Sonia gasps.

"My country's known for swordfish, not swordplay." Hagakure laughs and the others sitting there share a pensive look.

Sakakura leans over to Asahina and whispers.

"Please tell me this one isn't the prince of our country or any country with a nuclear option..."

"I think his parents dropped him off from the mothership." Asahina says back.

He... really can't tell if she's joking.

"You guys need to stop fighting and start acting like a team!" Koziumi blows a whistle and everyone immediately covers their ears. "Honestly, boys are just so... Can't you work together? You need to play off each other's strengths and weaknesses!"

"She's right. You all need to show more spirit!" Nidai says loudly. Class President Nidai... The man doesn't need a microphone, but it's always a bad time when they give him one. 

"E-Everyone... Please... Remember the choreography. You're all m-moving parts in one machine..." Tsumiki smiles in her kimono. She hasn't managed to trip over herself which is good. She's only really graceful when she's dancing.

"Honestly, it's you three that are the problem!" She says pointing to Nidai, Owada, and Ishimaru. "You're the ones who are most out of rhythm. Just follow Munakata and Tanaka. They get it!"

"What about me...?" Komaeda smiles. "Is there anything the Team Manager can offer for me?"

"...No one's really paying attention to you, so it's fine. Just stay in sync and you'll be fine."

"..."

"That was super harsh. Definitely 'duel with a swordfish' harsh!"

"You'd think a Prince would be smarter and more worldly." Asahina shrugs. "But you're stupid no matter what you do."

"Don't be mean! Or... Or I'll duel you!"

"I don't want to be arrested for killing some country's Prince." Asahina laughs.

"Why do you think you'd win?!"

"...Because you're you."

"I think they are all quite wonderful. My friends in Novoselic will be so jealous..." She says to herself ignoring the spectacle growing around her. "Having all their autographs. Seeing them all in person..."

"...Yeah. I get it." Sakakura admits. His eyes are glued to Munakata. "It's amazing to see them work."

"Them...? You mean you're looking at more than just him?" Yukizome leans in and Sakakura shudders.

"What I would not give to jump up on stage with them...!"

"That'd be a bad idea." Asahina snickers. "If Sonia starts singing, she'll totally pull a Snow White and all the woodland creatures will come in and start cleaning the school..."

"What?! She can do that?! She's a witch!" Hagakure points to Sonia.

"She's not a witch! There's no such thing! There are shamans, diviners, healers, priestesses, but no such thing as witches!"

...

Sakakura would have dismissed them both, but with his own abilities, who can say what there is in the world. But he's sure they're all idiots, truly.

Munakata looks over to see Sakakura staring at him. Munakata's wearing a tank top and sweatpants, and is toweling off sweat. Oh no. It's... He's really... attractive. Munakata winks at him, and Sakakura practically implodes in on himself.

The crackle of an intercom plays.

_"Sakakura Juzo, please report to the faculty office? Sakakura Juzo to the faculty office."_

"Oooh!" Owada points at him and smirks, jeering. "Sakakura's in trouble~"

"You rapscallion! What have you done?!" Ishimaru points at him too. What kind of Yakuza is offended at the mere idea that he's broken a rule?

The two of them are pointing and yelling at him in a confused unison.

...Ah, that's what Sonia meant.

"The ill wind continues to blow..." Tanaka says mysteriously. "Are these ill tidings to linger here?"

"...I have no idea what it is. I'll go see. Watch my stuff?" He says and stands.

"No! Sakakura's leaving his cursed items!" Asahina backs away from them. "...No one would steal such cursed treasures!"

"It's school books, notebooks, pens, and my lunch. It's not like it's treasure."

He doesn't debate whether or not it's cursed.

"I'll watch your stuff. I ain't afraid of no curses." Yukizome laughs.

"That's what the first victim says before the evil is unleashed..." Asahina mutters and retreats.

...

It's rare that his parents would come to see him.

And yet.

"Juzo." His mother smiles at him.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Sakakura frowns and looks to his mother and father. They're both alright. "Did grandma die...?"

"No, no. Your grandmother's fine. It's nothing like that." His father smiles and lightly punches him in the arm.

"We need your help with something." His mother gestures for him to sit.

They've been given a small office to talk in private, though the walls aren't really soundproof. They can hear indistinct chatter from others as they talk.

"My help?" Sakakura feels a slow tug of anxiety in his stomach. "...My help with what? I don't have that much money on me, but I've still got some saved up from my matches."

"We don't need your money, silly." 

They hold a bag out for him. It's... some kind of gift bag. The kind you'd put a present in. At first, it seems like they're giving him a present, but there's no reason they would be. It's not his birthday. And in any case, the gift bag is pink with frilly paper; his macho father would never give him something like that...

And somehow still ended up very gay, Sakakura thinks to himself.

"...Open it."

"Why. What is it."

"It's a gift."

"For who." Sakakura stares at them. He knows what they're doing. And he doesn't like it. "What do you want."

"..."

"It's for a friend of the family." His mother smiles.

"Then you don't want me touching it." He says simply.

"Juzo." Sakakura's father chides him. "Do as your mother says."

"Who are you trying to curse. And why."

They aren't questions. It's more like demanding answers.

"...Juzo, be reasonable. We're not trying to curse people..."

"Then what is all this? You're asking me to take a present meant for someone and what...? Hold onto it for a few minutes so I can curse it?" He looks at them seriously. "How is that not trying to curse people?"

"...I don't know who raised such an ungrateful child." His father scoffs and turns from him. It's... actually surreal to see his own reaction used against him. Is that where he learned it? "We're not asking for much."

"You want me to curse a stranger and you won't even tell me why."

"We're looking to move into a nicer apartment." His mother admits, with a small smile. "There's one other person bidding for it, but... You should see it. It's so lovely. And so much more spacious than our old place. You'd have an even bigger room!"

"Mom, I live here in the dorms. I don't need a bigger room."

"What about after you graduate?" She asks pointedly. "...What job would you have?"

"Your mother's right. This is for your future as well as ours. You gave up the only job security you've ever had. Don't we deserve something?"

...Deserve?

"...I didn't stop being a Boxer to hurt you." He says seriously. "I did it because it... hurt others."

"Of course it did! You punch men in the face, Juzo. That's what boxing is!"

"Yes, but knocking someone out should be the worst thing that happens to them! Not... Not getting attacked or in an accident because it was my fists."

"That's their problem. They signed up for the punishment, let them worry about the consequences." His father dismisses his words as if shooing a dog away. "If they're so worried about a curse, they shouldn't face you. But no boxer worth his salt would shy away because of a curse."

"..." Sakakura looks away. These people never change. "I want to win against people. I don't want them to die. There's a difference."

"We've let you have your way on this." His mother says quietly. "We've let you waste all the time and money we've spent on trainers and coaches and doctors... Isn't this something we deserve? We only want what's best for you."

"Haven't..." He's about to raise his voice but thinks better of it. "Haven't I given you two enough? ...What... What else do you want from me?"

"Watch your mouth, young man. Or we'll pull you from this school so fast your head will spin."

Sakakura stands.

"I'd like to see you try. I got picked to be here. I don't live on your dime, and I've got a free ride. And I would have no matter what you did. Trust your own luck for once. This isn't your house your rules."

"You're still a minor, young man. You're in our custody, whether you like it not."

"Why do you two always have to hurt people to get what you want? Why can't you work for it?"

"What would you know about working for anything? We've bent over backwards for you, Juzo! Given you a roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes on your back! Trained you to be a professional Boxer and you threw it all away. And you got here on blind luck! You haven't earned anything!"

"Then I guess we really are related, huh, dad?"

"Juzo, you're being unfair!" His mother says, voice quivering.

"You want me to ruin someone's life so that you can get a nicer house, but I'm being unfair?!"

And now he's yelling. Which means...

"Don't you yell at your mother like that!" And now his father's yelling. And his mother is crying. Like always.

"You two are so selfish! You don't care about me, you only...!"

His parents work best as a team. His mother tries to reel him in, his father tries to beat him down. All of it is guilt. And all of it is very effective.

"We want what's best for you! You gave up on your dream, and now you're just skating by on your own luck! Don't you know how much we worry about you?"

"..."

"One day, you'll have a wife. A family. You'll understand then, Juzo. You'll understand you'll do whatever it takes to give them a better life than the one you had. And your life has been good, Juzo. Pretty damn good."

"..." He feels ice pool in his stomach. "...There's no way I'll ever have a wife."

"You don't know that." His mother says standing and touching his arm. She's so short compared to him. "There must be a woman out there who'll want to hold you. Someone who won't be afraid of anything that you could do to her."

"..." And there's that too, which is its own issue.

Sakakura takes the bag from them and reaches into it. A small square box wrapped in pink paper tied with a white ribbon. He holds it in his hands for almost a minute before he lets it fall back into the bag.

"Thank you, Juzo." His mother says and hugs him tightly.

"You're doing the right thing." His father also hugs him. "Juzo, in this world there are people who have talent and those who don't. You can either run away from your talents... Or you can put them to use. Make them work for you. You've got a tremendous gift, Juzo. Why shouldn't you use it? Everything is a competition. Life is a competition. Don't you want to win...? Don't you want to be a winner?"

The only people in the world who can touch him without fear... And he wants nothing to do with them.

"...You two don't know the first thing about me." He says breaking away from them. "And don't come here again if no one's died or anything. I'm not your toy."

He says before angrily leaving the room.

"Oh, Juzo...!" His mother calls after him.

"Let him go. Boys his age are moody." He can hear his father say as he moves past them. "It's just a phase. He'll grow out of it and settle down eventually."

He mutters a silent apology to whoever is going to get the cursed gift, and moves on.

...

Hours must pass, because all he knows is that he's been slamming the punching bag in the gym so long his knuckles are getting sore. He must be out of practice.

He's wearing boxing gloves, and has taken off his shirt and jacket to just the sleeveless white shirt underneath. He would have changed into his gym clothes or the boxing shorts, but his gym stuff was in his bag. And he has no desire to see anyone else for a while.

Even so...

"Here you are. I thought maybe you had gone home."

He turns to see Munakata, carrying his bag. He's still dressed from his rehearsal.

"...You shouldn't be touching my stuff."

"How else would I have given it to you?" He asks with a small smile.

"I mean, my stuff is cursed. Touching it isn't healthy for someone like you."

"Well, the world hasn't ended. Nothing blew up. I haven't caught a cold on my way over here. But, a cold might actually be nice. My feet are sore. I could use the bedrest."

"...Don't fucking joke about it." He says seriously before slamming the punching bag again.

"You're not the Boxer, but you still train like one." He nods appreciatively. "I ate your lunch by the way."

"What?"

"...It was in your bag. I was afraid it might go bad. So I ate it." Munakata grins at him.

Which meant he'd gone through his bag, found his lunch, and ate it. Assuming that was all he did... What an ass.

"Never took you for a pervert who'd go snooping. But, with my luck, you ate something you were allergic to so I don't have to kick your ass for it. Better induce vomiting."

"I don't have any allergies. And I don't get sick easily. And... I do know what you're doing."

"Oh? Really? That's a relief. Glad someone knows. I sure don't." He pulls the boxing gloves off. His knuckles are raw, even with the gloves there. He throws them onto the ground, suddenly moving up to face Munakata. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Running away."

"..." It's the answer he really doesn't want to hear.

"You're feeling nostalgic, I would bet. Did your parents come and make you angry? You look more... angry than upset. No one died, I take it?"

"...Listen. Munakata. You're cool and all, but I am not good company right now. Don't mess with me. Okay?"

"Should I guess what it is?" Munakata continues to smile and sets the bag down. "...Your parents... are criminals?"

"No." He frowns immediately.

"Drug addicts?"

"..." Blank anger.

"Alcoholics? They're in debt? They embezzle money? Fraud? Forgery? Counterfeit money? Robbers? Arson? Serial killers? Compulsive gamblers? Drug dealers? Hitmen?" No reaction. "...Abusive? They used to touch you when you were little...? Or just your father? An uncle or grandfather? Did your parents let other men touch you for money?" 

He rattles off suspected crimes so nonchalantly, Sakakura is floored.

"No one touched me when I was little. The fuck are you doing? Don't say shit like that out loud, the fuck is wrong with you..." Hearing the words come out so brazenly from his hero's mouth is so disconcerting. He's having a hard time believing Munakata knows these words.

"I come from the entertainment world." He says with that same smile. "I was born into it. I've been in commercials and in the public eye since I was young enough to remember. I've seen or heard almost everything. There's nothing you could tell me that would surprise me."

"...I'm not telling you shit." Sakakura says turning and scoffing. Just like his father would. He turns back to spite his father. "It's none of your business."

"If they don't abuse you then... They give you unrealistic expectations? Are they the type that force you to succeed at impossible goals?"

"...I'm the SHSL Lucky Student. What impossible goals do they have for me?" He rolls his eyes.

"You were training to be a Boxer. I imagine they must have spent a lot of money training you to be the best. Formal sports and events cost more money than if you had trained on your own for brawls. Were they the type that measured and weighed you every day? There's more of that in the entertainment industry than you'd think."

"Stop prying. You don't know my life."

"You're boxing." He states simply. "Because that's what you do when you're upset. Right? You go to the thing that makes the most sense. You try and remember what it was like when things were easy. You had planned to be a Boxer, so I imagine boxing must make you remember how it was when that was still your goal."

He says it with an undercurrent of sympathy. Sakakura's poker face is non-existent. He can't hide his surprise or shame.

"...Fine. You win. Too bad I fucking hate boxing."

"No. You don't. It's familiar to you. You were good at it. I know, I've done some research on you."

"...Creepy. Thanks for sharing, stalker." He says in a sarcastic tone. He hopes Munakata know he's joking.

"I make it a point to get to know my fans. If you can't make them special, you can't keep them."

"Are you trying to make me feel special? Because I feel much less special now that I know it's a business plan."

"...We are friends, aren't we?"

"Wha...?"

"You wanted us to be friends. That's what Yukizome believes. She says you look up to me. Seeing you so honest with me... It's quite refreshing. This is the real you, isn't it? You sometimes let me take the lead and agree to things I say without question... But now you're pushing back because this is who you really are. So I'm very flattered you see me as a friend enough to be honest."

"..." This man is... "You are so fucking confusing..."

"I was worried about you. I do know what it's like to have parents who don't really understand you." He pauses for a moment as if the thought has just occurred to him. "They use you."

"...!"

"...I see. Yes. That makes sense. They make you feel like you owe them. Things are only calm when you let them have their way. They're manipulative people, is that it?"

"...Stop. Don't push. You don't... get to push into my life like this."

"If you want to talk, I'll listen. Your... Your letters to the band were quite touching."

"My what?"

"You sent letters. I knew I recognized your name. 'Juzo'... 'Thirteen'... Seeing someone so unlucky, named after 'thirteen' made me remember them. But they were yours, weren't they. You-"

"What the fuck do you want, Munakata?" He says loudly. Again, just like his father. "What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to make me mad? Are you trying to get me to open up to you? Because this is my life, not just some promotional feel-good-do-good moment you can stick under your pillow to feel good about yourself!"

"...Sakakura." He's surprised to hear anyone talk to him this way. "I do care. We are friends. You... used to say it was difficult to make friends. Because people were afraid of you, but you never said why..."

"...Yeah. Your music helped. Big whoop. I... I still can't do anything about it. I can't be a Boxer. I don't have anything that's mine. People can't even touch me or...!"

Munakata unconsciously reaches out to grab his arm but Sakakura quickly pulls it back.

"It's alright, I won't hurt you." He says gently.

"Don't you fucking get it?! I cause bad luck! That's my superpower! Hurt me? Like you fucking could! You touch me, and who knows what happens. I never should've sent you those letters because who knows what I made happen to you when you read them! Maybe you touch me and get hit by a stage light, or maybe a piano falls on you! I've caused a whole lot of fucking problems so why don't you do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me!"

...

Once he says it, he can't unsay it.

And Munakata stares at him. Which only makes it worse. But... It isn't judgement. It's more like mathematics...?

Munakata is putting pieces together as he stares.

"...That's what they do. Isn't it."

"That's what who does?!"

"That's how they use you. They make you a weapon."

Hearing the words he's always thought - 'They make you a weapon' - is... unbearable.

"...How...?!"

"The truth is... I'm psychic." Munakata smiles quickly. "...Just kidding. I have very good intuition."

All at once the rage builds up in him. He reaches out his hand and he's... a fraction of an inch away from punching him.

"...You really want to test out my bad luck? You want to get to know me and tell me that things are gonna be fine? Because I can't touch anyone without worrying what the fuck I'm gonna cause for them. I can't date people, and no one would ever confess to me anyway. You know why I make my own lunch? Because I'm so afraid that if I pay people with my own money for food that somehow something bad'll happen to them just from handling money I had in my hands. Gloves don't help. Coats don't help. People are scared to sit in the same chair I've sat in. Hell, I'm scared to be sitting on a train or in a car seat wondering who's going to sit down where I was next and get my back luck on them. What exactly do you think you can do or say to me that's going to make me feel better?"

"..."

"What's that, Idol? Got nothing? Make me feel special, Munakata. That's what your ultimate ability is, right? Make me feel like a special fan who has a sad life who was saved by music. Give me Hope. Otherwise, stay the hell away from me."

Munakata watches him with imperceptible eyes. What is Munakata thinking? The man is a sphinx.

Slowly, Munakata moves Sakakura's bag over, handing it to him. Even just touching it should be dangerous. When Sakakura takes it with his free hand, Munakata... does something surprising.

As he seems to turn to leave, Munakata quickly grasps Sakakura's fist in his hands. The surprised blush shoots up his chest and into his face. But before he can really register it, Munakata has leaned down and...

...And...

Munakata kisses the knuckles of his fist. Raw and sore, he feels the kiss on his hand so resoundingly that he's struck with an all-over shiver.

After he's kissed his hand, he moves his face back, hands still on Sakakura's wrist. Gently, he pats the top of Sakakura's fist.

"You've been working very hard all this time. If it were me, I would... I don't know if I would have the strength that you do. You said you were cheering me on, all this time. I've always wanted to tell you that I was cheering you on as well. Don't stop moving forward. I know you're trying. I believe in you. I'm very glad to finally meet the real you. I hope we can continue to be friends."

"...?!"

"I'll leave you alone for now. See you tomorrow. I promise to be careful on my way home, just in case."

Munakata smiles enigmatically and releases his hand before slowly walking out of the gym, leaving Sakakura stunned and blushing there in silence.

"...S-See you... tomorrow... then...?"

...

Who the fuck _is_ Munakata?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what I'm doing. But I think I'm doing it really well.


	3. Camouflage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ogami Sakura - SHSL Soldier  
> Celestia Ludenberg - SHSL Swordswoman  
> Fukawa Touko - SHSL Mechanic  
> Saionji Hiyoko - SHSL Photographer  
> Maizono Sayaka - SHSL Musician  
> Kuwata Leon - SHSL Biker Gang Leader
> 
> Togami Byakuya - SHSL Doujin Artist

The whole ordeal had been strange. All of it. Munakata speaking to him that way, and then...

He did have Munakata's number. He could text him and ask if he was alright. He'd... touched him. Not anything dirty, but... Kissing his knuckles... That meant something didn't it? Normal people didn't go around kissing each other's knuckles, did they?

He had heard of people kissing small injuries, but that was what they did for children, right?

...Either it meant something, or Munakata was teasing him. Knowing the Idol, it was probably both.

In his phone he crafts a message, "Are you okay?"

...But...

He's afraid to send it. Knowing his luck, he would get the message and look at it while crossing the road and get hit by a car. Somehow, anxiety and excitement had turned him into someone more neurotic than usual.

...

He decides it's easier to ask the others if they've seen Munakata around.

The first logical choice is...

"Read them and commence your weeping!" Ishimaru loudly slaps down his cards. A flush; all the cards in his hand are diamonds.

"Oh? Is that a fact? Sorry, bro, better find your hanky..." Owada reveals his hand. Four of a kind. "Looks like you'll be the one crying today!"

"I... I do not weep!" Ishimaru says biting back tears.

...

"Oh, Sakakura!" Komaeda is there. "What brings you here?"

"...You three seen Munakata around?"

"Negative! I have only seen the face of a man who will lose everything they have today!" Ishimaru scowls as he shuffles cards.

"Really? Musta been when you were lookin' in the mirror!" Owada taunts him.

"Hmmm...." Asahina stares pointedly at the whole thing. "...This feels strange."

"Strange in what way?" Sonia has somehow managed to convince Tanaka's hamsters to crowd her again. A siren of wildlife.

"All the energy is so... weird now. Like, electrical waves gone loco!"

"..." Sakakura watches her, confused. "...Yeah, so you haven't seen Munakata?"

"Not today. Sakura was doing some training with Celeste and Mahiru, but... I haven't seen Munakata around."

Ogami Sakura - SHSL Soldier... And Celeste - SHSL Swordswoman. The two of them were quite well-known. It would make sense that they'd be training with Koizumi, the SHSL Team Manager. Although, Celeste was never really one to train... And she preferred the term Fencer.

"...No one's seen him?"

"Is it possible that he is ill?" Sonia asks and even just hearing the suggestion causes panic to well up inside Sakakura.

"I dunno. Dude's never gotten sick as far as I've known him." Owada chooses his cards as Ishimaru grumbles to himself.

"Maybe Togami or Naegi know?" Sonia suggests.

"Ugh, don't bother. Togami's been shut up in the art room for like... ever." Asahina explains. Togami was the SHSL Doujin... Obsessively alone, and obsessively contemptuous of everyone else's presence. He'd rather work on his creations all by himself. "He's working on his 'magnum opiate' or whatever."

"...Magnum opus." Sonia corrects her with a small smile.

"Aw, what's the matter, bro? Are you folding?"

"You... Your treachery will not be forgotten or forgiven! Your pinky will be mine!"

"If you want a finger so bad, how about I show you my favorite one?" Owada gives a teasing smirk and flips Ishimaru off, which makes him turn bright red.

"You...! You dare! You must be feeling lucky today to even consider disrespecting me this way!"

"What's that? You want to see my favorite finger again?"

"If you do that again, I swear I'll take it from you!"

"It sounds like you really want to see it again, how about I give you a double feature?"

"Wait!" Asahina says quickly. "I want to do an experiment!"

...

Everyone slowly stares at her.

"...Anyway. If no one's seen him, I'm going to go ask the idiots in the music room." 

Which meant Maizono and Kuwata; SHSL Musician, and SHSL Biker Gang Leader, who was determined to usurp her title of Musician. They were always making a ton of noise in the music room together.

"No, you can't go. I need you for the experiment." She says quickly. "You and Komaeda."

"...What experiment are you trying to conduct?" Sonia asks.

"An experiment in luck."

As she explains it... It sounds ludicrous. But it's exactly the kind of thing Asahina would come up with, and it almost sounds scientific.

Basically, she wants to use Owada as a kind of test subject. As the SHSL Gambler, he should be the easiest to test in terms of luck. She wanted to see how good Owada's hands against Ishimaru would be with Komaeda's abnormally good luck... and Sakakura's abnormally bad luck.

The entire thing is... strange. And fascinating.

With Komaeda, it only really takes his focus for it to work, not physical touch.

"...Let's see... Ishimaru, you go first. What's your hand?" Asahina looks to him.

"Full house."

Owada smirks. "Royal flush!"

"...That's... That's inconceivable!" Ishimaru nearly scatters the entire deck of cards.

"As expected of the SHSL Gambler... My meager talents just can't compare..." Komaeda's being dreary again, even though it was supposedly his luck that was making it possible.

"...Sakakura, it's your turn."

"Fine. But..." He simply pokes Owada with his index finger. "...I don't want to cause any real damage."

Owada shudders.

"Oh my, bad luck causes external symptoms...?" Sonia is astounded.

"Alright. Play normally... Let's see..." Asahina says as they draw cards.

"...Two pair." Ishimaru says looking to Owada.

"I... got nothing good." He says. A handful of unrelated cards. Absolutely nothing.

"...I see, I see..." Asahina nods. "Sakakura's luck counteracted Komaeda's..."

"H-Hey... Give me my luck back!" Owada looks to Sakakura.

"I told you this would end badly, it's not my fault you were stupid enough to volunteer for this." Sakakura scoffs. As if he had the power to return luck.

"No, no, by all means, keep all of his luck! I will enjoy the way his face looks crumbling after his inevitable defeats!" Ishimaru laughs loudly.

"I'm fucking serious, give me my luck back! This... This better not be permanent!"

"Assuming you live, you'll be fine." Sakakura allows himself a cruel chuckle. "Maybe."

"Maybe?!"

"...Komaeda, is there anything you can do?" Sonia looks to him.

"Well... I can root for him? Will that help...?"

"Wait. I've got another experiment." Asahina says pulling out a coin and handing it to Sakakura, without touching his hand.

"What. You're going to tell me to get something from the vending machine and see if it breaks?"

"No! I... Well, actually that'd be kinda cool! Yeah, let's do that!"

"...Asahina, what was your original idea?" Sonia smiles. "I do not believe destruction of property would be looked upon kindly by the ones who would need to fix the machine."

"It's fine, Fukawa's the SHSL Mechanic, that's what she's there for."

"..." Sakakura shivers. That'd be the most unlucky vending machine ever. Between his luck and Fukawa having to deal with it... That would be the most accursed vending machine in the school's history. "I'm not breaking the vending machine."

"Then... Just flip the coin."

"And then what?"

"Well... Komaeda, use your luck to make it land on heads."

"Heads?"

"You know, the part with the amount on it. And... since Sakakura is cursing the coin, it should go to tails!"

"I'm... I'm not cursing the coin." Sakakura glares at her. Not on purpose anyway.

"It doesn't matter, just flip the coin and we'll see what it lands on."

"Pitting good luck against bad luck..." Komaeda smiles. "Is... this really a test that will bring about Hope...?"

"It has nothing to do with Hope, I just really want to see it!" Asahina says quickly. "Seeing how strong luck works, it's like... It's super important!"

"But my Hope couldn't be stronger than Sakakura's... After all, he's much more talented than I am. We're both Lucky Students, but he's outclassed me in every way..."

"Enough with the pity party!" Ishimaru says loudly. "Hurry up and flip the coin! Let's see!"

"I gotta admit, I'm kinda curious." Owada shrugs.

"This... is safer than breaking a vending machine." Sonia smiles weakly.

"Well, if this is everyone's Hope... How could I refuse?"

Rolling his eyes, Sakakura gives the coin a flip. Komaeda seems to be concentrating hard on it. The coin lands on the desk they'd been playing cards on and...

And...

"No fucking way..." Owada mutters under his breath.

The coin is... standing straight up on its side. Neither heads nor tails, it landed upright.

"...I... I don't know how to record that kind of a result!"

"Fools! What are you fiends doing?!" The hamsters rush towards the door to climb up Tanaka and into his scarf as he steps forward angrily. He's not alone, with Saionji Hiyoko following after him.

"Hey, you're just in time to watch a battle of luck!"

"...Man, that sounds super stupid." Saionji groans. She's got a camera around her neck. She is the SHSL Photographer but... She somehow manages to take the best and worst pictures at the same time. "What dumbass would think up something so stupid?"

"Idiots! You play with forces beyond your ken! The meeting of such polar opposite forces could only rip this universe asunder!"

There's briefly the sound of groaning wood and metal and then...

There's the sound of a screw popping out from the desk and slowly tinkling a light metallic sound before the desk buckles and crashes to the ground. Cards spill everywhere and the coin rolls away.

"Ahhh! The most unlucky coin is getting away! A dangerous weapon is getting away! It'll destroy us all!"

"You simpletons! The delicate balance of the cosmos is not a toy!" Tanaka glares at Komaeda and Sakakura.

"...Yeah whatever." Sakakura looks bored now. "Have either of you two seen Munakata around?"

"Nope~" Saionji laughs. "Maybe he finally fell down a manhole after breathing the same air as you."

As Sakakura moves to probably poke Saionji and curse her for the day, Tanaka instinctively grabs him by the arm. The room falls silent.

"Y-You... ill-begotten sphinx! How... How could you taint me this way?!"

"You fucking grabbed me, you lunatic!" Sakakura glares at him. "Let go!"

"That seems like it would be akin to removing a knife and then dying of blood loss..." Sonia smiles. She's been reading about serial killers again, it seems. "It would be unwise to release!"

"Undo your hex, sorcerer!"

"If I knew how to do that, why wouldn't I do it all the time? Now, let go."

"Don't worry, Tanaka." Komaeda grips Tanaka's other arm. "I can counterbalance it."

"Th-This feeling...! I'm... being overcome...! Pulled between... Seraphim... and... nephilim!"

Saionji quickly snaps a picture of the three of them 'holding hands'.

"Looks like it's gay, even in a threeway~!" She laughs loudly.

"...Threeway?" Sonia looks as if she's considering what that could mean.

"Don't fucking worry about it. She's just being weird." Owada sighs.

"You worthless savages! To disrespect the cards...!"

Ishimaru is busy playing 52 pick up with the cards scattered everywhere.

"Let go of my arm." Sakakura says dangerously to Tanaka.

"I... I... The power! I'm... transcending...! My power level... I can't control it! At this rate...! At this rate...!!"

"This is the weirdest porno I've ever seen." Saionji takes another picture.

"Quit that, you little dwarf." Sakakura glares at her. "Or I'll touch your prized camera next."

...

As Asahina slowly keeps pace with the rolling coin, desperately trying to shoo it somewhere safe, the door opens again.

"...Why is everyone so loud?" Munakata steps in.

The sight is...

Ishimaru and Owada, picking up cards around a broken desk. Sonia and Saionji watching an odd display of... Komaeda holding onto Tanaka, who is holding onto Sakakura... And Asahina is frantically pursuing a rolling coin.

"..."

He's both surprised and not at all surprised.

"What's been going on here?" Munakata says before he slowly leans down and picks up the rolling coin. Asahina promptly shrieks. "...Never mind, I'm not sure I want to know."

As Sakakura pulls himself away from Tanaka, who relaxes some after being 'blessed' by Komaeda's good luck, he moves closer towards Munakata.

"Jack of clubs!" Ishimaru holds up a card.

"...Two of diamonds...!" Owada cringes. "Give me back my good luck...!"

"Hold on." Komaeda tilts his head and places his hand on Owada's shoulder. "How about now?"

"Eight of diamonds."

"..." Owada picks up another card. "Queen of spades! I'm back...!"

"Amazing! I have witnessed a new skill tree becoming unlocked for Komaeda...!" Sonia gasps loudly.

"God, everyone in this school is such a fucking garbage fire." Saionji grumbles to herself. "I'm gonna go find Koizumi, or someone with brain cells. Later days, assorted sluts and idiots."

She leaves the room, which is probably best for everyone.

"What did she even come in here for?" Owada rolls his eyes.

"I cannot believe she called me a slut!" Ishimaru says loudly.

"...Huh?"

"She said 'assorted sluts and idiots'. I could not possibly be an idiot!"

"Bro, it's more likely than you think."

"There you are." Sakakura ignores them as he approaches Munakata. Asahina is still gaping at the fact that Munakata picked up the cursed coin.

"Huh? Were you looking for me?"

"..." He furrows a brow. "You're okay?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Munakata answers with a small smile. "Actually, how about we go get lunch. I'll treat you. It seems I've come into some extra money."

"That..." Sakakura stares when Munakata produces the coin. "...I don't think that's safe. I touched that coin."

"Don't be so superstitious. I told you it's my treat. Come on."

"Uhh..." Sakakura turns back. The room is in chaos. But that's not his problem. "Alright..."

"Stay safe!" Sonia waves to them as they leave.

. . .

As they walk, leaving the drama of the other room behind them, Sakakura can't help but stare at Munakata.

"...What is it?"

"You're... You're not hurt...?"

"Why would I be hurt?"

"You know. You..." He whispers it. "...kissed my hand."

"Oh, that? No. I'm perfectly fine. No harm done."

He isn't sure if he believes Munakata, but he can't see anything physically wrong with him so...

"Why... Why did you do that?"

"...Kiss your hand?" He says it as if it's nothing. "That's what you do when someone gets hurt, right? You kiss the boo-boo to make it feel better?"

"..." Sakakura frowns. "I am not a child."

"We're both minors. The law says we're both children. Can I not look after a fellow child?"

"...What is with you?! You're..." Sakakura can't read him at all. Is he messing with him?

"I'm not messing with you, no."

"...!" How...?

"How did I know?" He smiles. "I told you, I'm psychic... Or, rather, I have very good intuition."

"That's not funny."

"It isn't?" Munakata pauses to consider this. "Then... How about, I enjoy looking after you. Because no one else seems to be doing it, and you look like you could use someone in your corner... so to speak."

"...H-Huh?"

"Even if something were to happen to me because of your luck, does that mean we should stop being friends? There's no Hope in you being alone for the rest of your life because you're afraid."

"..." Now he really must be messing with him.

"No, I told you, I'm not messing with you. This is how I really feel."

"Please, stop doing that."

"..." Munakata looks to him seriously. "I stole your lunch before, didn't I? It's only right that I treat you this time. And you said you were afraid of hurting someone by paying for lunch, so that's why I'll do it. You're my friend. I don't want you to feel like you're alone."

"..." Sakakura is struck speechless by that.

"...One day, you'll find a man who loves you no matter what. I'll be rooting for you." Munakata smiles.

It's... like nothing he's ever heard before. There's something soothing and hopeful about the way he-

Wait.

"...Wh-What are you...?"

"Oh, I've known you prefer men all this time. Actually, I had a feeling when we first officially met. I had my suspicions."

"...I... I need to go."

There's a sudden feeling of panic that rises up. He... He can't let Munakata see him like this. It may already be too late.

"No. Don't, please." He says gripping Sakakura's arm. "It's not something I mind. In fact, I'm very flattered. I could tell you felt something for me. You're much more honest about the way you carry yourself."

"...Don't... Don't make fun of me. And let go of my arm."

Munakata lets go of him.

"I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I wanted to tell you it was okay. You seemed the type who would wait and pine quietly, and that seemed very... unfair. I won't tell anyone. But... in the interests of keeping our friendship on equal footing... Would it surprise you to know I've had male lovers before?"

...

Male lovers? What was he, forty?

"You're... That's a lie. There's... There's no way..."

"Both women and men are very attracted to me. It's been that way for a while. And meeting so many attractive people... Some things just develop on their own." He smiles casually. "Am I surprising you? You look surprised."

Was this some kind of showbiz thing? ...He'd... He'd heard creative types were more likely to be...

"Why... are you telling me this? You're... You're an Idol. You shouldn't be saying that kind of thing."

"I'm a regular human being just like you. I have feelings and urges I don't always know how to control. I'm not saying it to gain your trust, I'm saying it because we're friends and I don't like to see my friends suffering. So... You're not alone. If that helps. I've wanted to say so for a while, so that you understand that you aren't alone."

"..." The Idol version of Munakata seems so much more...

"I know. I'm not totally the way I appear on TV or in our promotional videos. That person is..." Munakata's eyes suddenly seem to go a little darker. "That person is me, but not me. A me that people will like. Very unassuming and kind. The real me is... a little more fragile than that. More obnoxious as well."

"I... You're kind of blowing my mind here..." Sakakura struggles to keep a grip on his sanity. "You're saying you..."

"Yes. Women and men. Although, men are... More honest. But more frightened. Although, I've dated other Idols and that's always an issue, since they can't really date... I'm afraid the male Idols have more freedom in that regard, but... The truth is that I don't like to be alone, and that the Idol world can be very lonely."

"Why tell me...?"

"...You opened up to me about your life. I feel like I understand you better. I want to return the favor. This is the person that I am. And I'm not that different from you. Your feelings for me were evident, I think. But, having you attracted to me and genuinely caring for my well-being... I really do appreciate it."

Sakakura stares at him. He'd... completely usurped his confession. And he had touched him again, though that was the furthest thing from his mind.

"I still don't get it. You're... Is showbiz really that bad...?"

"Huh? In what way?"

"That you'd hide who you are? That's what you're saying, right? That... That the you on stage is different from you?"

"It's the way the business works. But it's how most businesses work. The you that you present is not always the real you. It's a reflection of you that's necessary for the situation, right? An Idol must always be amenable and gracious. Even when we don't like someone, or the venue is terrible, or the job isn't worth the effort, no one wants to hear what we have to say. Our job is to entertain. There comes a time when the person you pretend to be is hard to escape from."

"I..."

"I know. You understand it more than most. But in a different way. Our actions and words are constantly scrutinized, and if I'm honest, I've risked my reputation a few times by dating others, even women. But even I want to be understood. You showed me who you really were. It... It honestly made me jealous."

"You... Wait, you were jealous of me?"

"...You got angry at me. You told me your side of things honestly. In that moment, I was very jealous of you. I've never been able to shout at someone or declare my own feelings, either because of my own sense of how I feel I need to act in a situation, or because cameras were on me. But in that moment, I very much wanted to yell, 'You are someone who deserves happiness, Sakakura!' ...or something like that. I wanted to see your face shocked and hopeful at the same time, like now."

...

Munakata is exhausting. Just when he feels like he's starting to understand him or relate to him, he realizes he understands nothing.

"Then... What? What's all of this mean? ...Why... did you..."

"I want us to be friends. In the truest sense of the word. I want to see all there is of you, and I want to show you who I am too. Your feelings towards me don't change things for me. In fact, if someone were going to have a crush on me... I'd rather it be someone good-looking with nice muscles."

"..." Well, now he's blushing. "Why do I get the feeling someone fucked with your head and you're some weirdo after all..."

"Maybe it means you're psychic too." Munakata smiles enigmatically. Had he... gotten that right...?

"Hey... That's..."

"I would help you 'get lucky' but I think you need to work yourself up to that. And besides, you haven't triggered the flag for that event. If you continue leveling up my social link, it could happen!"

"...Oh my God. You're just unbelievable. How do you do that..."

"I usually hear that from people wearing less clothing." He winks. "But maybe if you max out my social link, you'll get a pair of my underwear as a reward."

"..."

He's being teased. He just knows he is. And yet... He's been knocked so completely off balance by the Idol, he really doesn't know what to do or how to recover.

"That was a joke I-"

"If you're about to follow up with how you're not wearing underwear, I'm seriously going to scream."

"...You're no fun."

"Were you always this type of person?!"

"No. But it seems to have put you at ease, so it did serve a purpose." He smiles. Then... This was all just to tease him and make him less tense...? "...Although when you max out my social link, I'll max out yours. I'll be expecting a clean pair of underwear from you, Sakakura!"

"...If you keep saying things like that out loud, someone is going to wonder about you."

"I do want to stop teasing you, but the face you make when I embarrass you is priceless."

"Yeah, someone really fucked you up. There's no way you're normal."

"True, but I don't think you're in a position to judge." Munakata chuckles and brushes past his analysis. There's a cold and lonely light in there, and he just caught a glimpse of it. "...Anyway. I hope you're hungry. I don't get to eat meals with friends very often, except for when the band eats together. But with a normal person... And one who has a crush on me... Hm. I'm a little curious how much bad luck I can rack up before something happens to me."

The more this goes on, the stranger Munakata becomes. Is this really the kind of person he is? It must be some kind of TV personality. Some kind of chameleon ability to adapt to any situation, or some kind of weird intuitive way of disarming situations.

"...You started off worrying about me, and now all I can do is worry about you." 

"Think about what you want to eat for lunch. Worry less about me, I'll be fine. Even if bad luck comes my way, I'll think of it as an adventure."

The real Munakata... Is he different from the way he normally presents himself? Or is he this strange teasing clown...? It must be a mix of them. And probably more. He hasn't seen all of Munakata's masks, but... He's getting closer to really knowing the man.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Munakata's personality: ...DARKNESS. NO PARENTS!  
> Probably. Plus Sayaka's a troll to Makoto, so why not use that fun energy?


	4. Touch / Don't Touch

The gym does have its own ring, although is it for boxing or wrestling...? It's hard to tell.

Still, having an audience is quite unnerving.

"Do your best~!" Yukizome waves and cheers from her seat on the bench.

"Was this really a smart idea." Kirigiri looks to her. It's not a question. "You know someone will get hurt."

"Nah, it's fine. Those two could use the exercise."

"...Then it would be better if they ran laps, not punched each other in the face."

"Trust me, this is good for both of them. I'm sure they'll get closer after this."

"It's a terrible plan."

"Just keep the ice packs handy!"

"I've never seen something like this before." Naegi is beaming. "I... hope they don't bleed. That would be harder to clean."

"Would you mouthbreathers be silent?" Togami is furiously sketching. "I need to concentrate and use this as reference material."

"Could you not simply video record them?" Sonia asks. Somewhere. Lurking in the back of the gym... Soda Kazuichi... "Would that not be easier to keep and look at?"

"Imbecile." Togami looks at her. The SHSL Doujin is not one to be questioned. "Nothing can capture the excitement felt in the heat of the moment."

"...Although I do dislike his tone... I can see wisdom in his words." Ogami Sakura, the SHSL Soldier stands to watch the fight. "Watching a fight is different from living a fight."

"Hmm... I can't predict what the future holds..." Asahina shakes her crystal ball, which is also, still, probably made of glass.

"It's not a magic 8-ball..." Kirigiri frowns at her.

"Still..." Ogami looks back and spots Soda staring at Sonia. "What a menacing aura... What could he want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Togami scoffs. "He wants to be disgusting."

"Hey... That's, a little mean." Naegi says and Togami glares at him.

"It's because it's Sonia's special power!" Asahina explains. "...He's really a shark. Drawn to Sonia's special Snow White abilities!"

"..." Ogami shakes her head.

"Can we have some quiet from the peanut gallery?" Sakakura calls out to them.

"Take it off!" Yukizome cheers and Sakakura flinches.

She's referring to his shirt, which is a tanktop.

Having so many people watching his match feels... wrong. And strange. But...

"Alright. If it's what the public wants..." Munakata, dressed in the boxing shorts and a shirt... suddenly pulls his shirt off and tosses it out of the ring. "Your turn."

There's some wolf whistles from the crowd. Mostly Yukizome.

"Pass." Sakakura crosses his arms as he puts on the boxing gloves. "Take this seriously. I won't go easy on you."

Sakakura comes closer and shows him how to put on the boxing gloves. He's reluctant to let his bad luck rub off on Munakata at all but...

This had been Munakata's idea. 

What had started as a simple, 'We should work out together', had quickly devolved into this. Sakakura had thought they would simply be doing pushups or running together. It made sense an Idol had to work out as well, and he'd discovered Munakata had taken lessons in swordsmanship to practice footwork but...

A boxing match between the SHSL Idol, and the almost-SHSL Boxer...

There were so many ways this could go wrong.

"...Here I was hoping to see more of you." Munakata says smiling. "Will you really not go easy on me?"

"If I did, you'd complain. Right?"

"That's right." Munakata's smile is imperceptible. He didn't want special treatment, he just wanted special favors and a special match in front of a special audience for his own reasons. What an asshole, he thinks. "...That wasn't a nice thought of you."

At this point he's no longer surprised, it's just annoying.

"Keep out of my head."

"But you keep imagining me... It's very flattering." Munakata jokingly flexes.

This isn't the real Munakata, he's realized. This is not how the real Munakata is. This is an Idol performance. It's a show. 

The real Munakata is reticent and quiet, and intense. The real Munakata is observant and studious, and a horrible perfectionist. He's seen that Munakata from far away. But this is an act. Because he's not ready to show him all of himself.

The real Munakata is a shy person at heart. Or... Maybe not shy, exactly. But emotionally guarded. The real Munakata puts up walls to keep people out, and wears masks to play along so that other people like him.

And if he's wearing a mask, then it's a performance. And that means there's a reason behind this... He just doesn't know what it is.

"You're not clever. Or subtle."

"I disagree." Munakata chuckles.

"You're so full of yourself." Sakakura leans in closer. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're not fooling me."

"Maybe I just wanted to see you without your shirt on. Or, maybe I'm just imagining you in a jockstrap." Munakata continues smiling that fake smile he's come to be annoyed by. "Maybe I just want to check you out..."

"I'd rather you just tell me what's on your mind. Never took you for a coward."

And he sees the mask slip. For the briefest of moments, the real Munakata is there. Calculating... Goofy, yes, definitely... But an ambitious man with goals who goes out of his way to get them accomplished.

The look he gives him... is not a happy one.

"You think it's a good idea to talk to me like that." Not a question.

"There's Munakata. Nice to see you again."

"..." Munakata can't recover the mask fast enough to get out of that. "Are you testing me now?"

"If you can test me, I can test you. If you don't like it, quit playing mind games."

"This is something I have to see for myself. I want to put your Hope to the test against mine."

"You've been spending too much time around Komaeda."

"...I promise you, this is for you, as well as myself." Munakata pulls away.

Not that he really understands it, but it looks like Munakata is serious about this for some reason. He must be planning something. Not sure what.

Kirigiri sighs. She doesn't have to be the Clairvoyant to know something bad is going to happen.

The two square off.

Munakata's got speed, but not as much as power behind his hits as Sakakura has come to expect from opponents. His punches are quick but not as painful as others that he's fought. Though there are hits that Munakata gives that will leave bruises, he's more worried that Munakata is touching him at all in some way. There's just too much risk attached to it, he thinks.

"You happy?" Sakakura says, dropping his stance. "Are we done yet?"

"I thought you were going to fight me without pulling punches."

"I just didn't want to mess up your pretty face." Sakakura scoffs.

"I'm flattered you think I'm pretty." Munakata jokes, but his face is still serious. "But I want to see what you can do."

Sakakura grumbles. He really won't let this go until...

Rushing forward, quickly, the others gasp. They haven't seen Sakakura fight. And since he's the Lucky Student, no one expects him to be such a strong athlete.

But these are the skills of someone who was set to become the SHSL Boxer.

Munakata grunts when fists impact him, but most aim for his chest or stomach. It's hard to properly defend when you aren't a professional boxer.

Sakakura knows Munakata could beat him in a fight if he were using a sword, or were allowed to kick. He knows that Munakata's an athlete as well in his own right, and that he has sword and combat training under his belt... Not to mention the endurance and muscles he has from working out as an Idol, or from jumping around on stage, or doing choreography.

"Feel like giving up yet?" He asks.

"I haven't finished with you yet."

The competitive side of Munakata comes out with a barely perceptible smirk. That is another side of Munakata that's real. And very hard to fake. No matter what, Munakata hates to lose.

Determined to end this quickly, and afraid that if he goes for too much longer, it will increase the amount of chances Munakata has to take on more of his bad luck...

He shoots forward with a punch aimed for Munakata, that's lower and aimed for the torso. 

When Munakata moves to avoid it...

He hasn't realized that his shoelace has come untied. Stepping on it, he knocks himself off balance, and begins to fall forward... which... leads to Sakakura accidentally slamming his left hook right into Munakata's right cheek.

There's a gasp from the gallery as Munakata is knocked backwards by the hit and tumbles down to the mat.

Sakakura is horrified and rushes to his side, but... he was already a victim of his bad luck. If he touched him more, wouldn't that just make things worse...?

"H-Hey! Kirigiri! I need some help!"

Sakakura says and Kirigiri, the SHSL Nurse, immediately rushes forward.

"Munakata..." She says as she tries to get him to focus. "Can you hear me?"

"...Did... I lose?"

"Yes. Technical knockout." She says, calling it there. "Are you dizzy?"

"...No. I... My face just hurts."

She takes out a handkerchief and has Munakata sit up before applying it to his nose. There's some blood, but... the black eye that's forming is much more noticeable.

"Fuck, I'm... I'm so sorry..." Sakakura manages to say as Munakata smiles stupidly at him.

"It's my fault, not yours. I..." For a moment he looks sad, as he begins to retie his shoe.

"Come on, let's take you to the nurse's office. You'll need ice at least." Kirigiri says, and motions to Sakakura. "You too."

. . .

"I can't believe you two!" Koizumi is worse than either of their mothers. Yukizome... almost regrets asking her to come, along with Nidai. "Why would you do this?!"

Pekoyama - the SHSL Moral Compass - is there with sword in hand. Normally she's there with the SHSL Affluent Progeny, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko... But right now this demands her attention more.

"...I was the one who convinced him to fight with me." Munakata smiles with the ice pack pressed to his face. The swelling has gone down, but he has a very noticeable black eye. And everyone knows who gave it to him. "It was my fault, Koizumi, I apologize."

"Geez... Guys are so stupid... Don't you know you're... You're an Idol! You can't..." She grumbles. "I'm your Manager here and you... You can't go marking up your face like that. You're going to need to cancel some of your promotional tours, and some photo shoots."

"I know. It was my fault. I should have thought things through more."

"And you!" Koizumi points to Sakakura. "I can understand that he told you to do this, but you didn't have to say yes!"

"..." He looks away. He already feels plenty guilty. "You know him. He does whatever he wants."

"That's no excuse! If Munakata told you to jump off a bridge, would you? Don't you have free will?!"

"Alright, alright... Let's just hold on..." Class President Nidai says loudly. "It was all just an accident. There's no reason to scold them that badly."

"I'm your Manager too whether you like or not." She turns to him accusingly. "I don't care if you outrank me on Student Council stuff. This is serious."

"I agree, but what's done is done. He can't unblacken his eye. Blaming Sakakura at this point is meaningless. I mean, look at him! He knows he did wrong."

Sakakura can't really hide his emotions like Munakata can. Everything comes out brooding for him when he's upset.

"...Fine. But..." She crosses her arms. "Munakata, you're going to call everyone and do all the apologizing yourself. It was your stupidity that did it, so you get to fix it."

"I understand." Munakata nods.

"..." Pekoyama has been watching this very carefully. "You do claim this was an accident, yes?"

"Yes. It was. Sakakura wasn't even trying to hit me in the face. It was all just an accident." Munakata smiles.

She walks up to Sakakura and points her bamboo sword at him.

"For your sake, it had better have been an accident. I will not tolerate bullying of any kind on this campus. Violence is also strictly not allowed. It is not safe for a school environment."

"What bullying? He bullies me!" Sakakura points to Munakata who smiles innocently. "And he's the one who challenged me to a match in the first place! How is it my fault he got punched when he challenges me to boxing?"

"..." She takes some time to consider his words before sheathing her sword. "Just know that I will be watching you. I do not want a repeat of today."

"Like I told you, I didn't do anything wrong. The only thing I did wrong was fight this idiot in the first place - which is what he wanted me to do."

"Then you need not fear. Justice and order are my only goals." She turns brusquely and walks from the room. "You would do well to toe the line."

"..." Koizumi sighs loudly. Pekoyama's right, but even she can tell when she's off-base. "You two were just being stupid, right? ...You're not... No one's actually being bullied here, right?"

"I only bully Sakakura nicely. And without violence." Munakata smiles.

"That's not encouraging! Don't say that!"

"...For now, just focus on healing up. Maybe some stage makeup will make it easier. We'll see what we can do." Nidai says.

"...Yeah. Rest up. No official things for you until your face heals." Koizumi lets her shoulders slacken. "I still expect you to come to practice though. You don't get to slack off. Don't pull a stunt like this again, Munakata. I'm serious."

"I apologize." He smiles, and it seems... almost insincere.

They decide to let it go, Koizumi looks like she might really burst a blood vessel.

...

"..." Sakakura lets out a deep breath. "I'll go."

"Why? Stay with me." Munakata smiles. "Could you hold the ice pack? My hand is getting cold."

Sakakura rolls his eyes.

"You want me to curse you even more?"

"..." Munakata looks hesitant for a moment. The mask slowly begins to slip. "I apologize. This wasn't my intention."

"What was your intention?"

"If you hold the ice pack, I'll tell you."

...

Bargaining with Munakata is like betting against Owada. There's no way he's going to win, but still...

He places the pack roughly back on Munakata's face.

"Talk."

"Ow. Be gentle. I am the wounded party."

"Yeah, because you asked me to. What... What the hell were you thinking? Don't you get that bad things happen when I touch people?"

"...I'm sorry. I... failed." He says quietly. Munakata looks... depressed?

"Failed what?"

"Nothing had happened. I've touched you before, but never had anything happen... I mean, I've broken my favorite tea cup, and I nearly slipped in the shower but... I could chalk that up to my own bad luck."

"Fuck, did I curse you before too?"

"I don't know." He admits. "I was hoping no. I... I wanted to be immune to it for you."

"Huh...?"

"The only people you know of who are immune are your family members, correct? But they mistreat you and abuse you."

Sakakura cringes. He's... never heard it called abuse before. He wants to say it's not true, but, isn't it? They use him as a weapon to get their way, and if he doesn't agree, they guilt him into it anyway. That's... not healthy.

"..."

"I wanted to be able to say that I was immune to your bad luck. So that you would have someone you weren't afraid to be around. I wonder if Yukizome feels the same, but she hasn't told me if she's ever experienced any bad luck on your behalf."

"Yeah. Me neither."

"...That's why I wanted to be immune. You would have a friend, and you wouldn't need to worry."

"Munakata..."

"That's what it is, isn't it? Even when we first met, I could tell you were holding back. Most of my fans can't wait to hug me or shake my hand but you... have always avoided me that way. I thought maybe you were shy or didn't like personal contact, which would have been far less complicated. But I don't like knowing that my friend is afraid to be near me."

"...I don't want to hurt you."

"That's why you stay away from me. But that's also why I don't want you to stay away. Because... You're afraid. But I didn't want you to be afraid. Not of me. My friends shouldn't be afraid of me. And you... shouldn't be afraid of me, or hurting me."

"Were you teasing me because... it makes us seem closer?" He asks, not really getting Munakata's motivations exactly.

"Partly." He says with a smile. "Mostly you're cute when you blush and I find you attractive."

"...Don't tease me as you're talking about your reasons for teasing me." He rolls his eyes.

"I think you deserve to be happy. I'm not going to stop trying to be your friend, and with your permission, I won't stop teasing you. You shouldn't have to be afraid of getting close to people. I see you nervous of ever getting hugged, and it makes me want to hug you. Something like that."

Without waiting for the response, Munakata smiles and hugs Sakakura, who flinches reflexively.

"...This... is too dangerous for you." Sakakura isn't sure if he wants to resist. It's... probably one of the first times he can remember being hugged by someone who wasn't a relative. "Please, let go."

"If you want me to stop, then pull away." But he doesn't. Munakata puts the ice pack down and hugs him tighter. There's a noticeable black eye that's hard to ignore. "...You've been strong for so long, but even you want to be close to people. I... understand that. More than you think."

"..."

"I'm sorry I made you feel guilty. But this was my fault, not yours. I hope you can forgive me for this."

The hug passes for almost a full two minutes. At least Munakata is wearing a shirt again or... this would be strange and hard to explain. It's already hard to explain, though.

"You should... let go soon."

"..." Munakata's impish nature comes out. "Maybe I don't want to."

"Seriously."

"...I'll let you go if you tell me the color of your underwear right now."

"Not a chance."

"Can I guess?"

"No." He rolls his eyes.

"White jockstrap after all?"

"Cut it out." Sakakura blushes hard.

"Ooh, or maybe yours is black like mine? Naughty."

"I must have knocked your brain loose when I- ...What do you mean 'like yours'?"

"Do you want to see?" He winks. 

"I take back my apology. You need to be punched more often."

"You're no fun." Munakata continues to hold the hug, but Sakakura is reluctant to break free from it. "I like to imagine that it's white... Or black with white trim."

"How would you like to imagine a second black eye to match."

"..." Munakata sighs and lets go. "Come on. I'm hungry. I'll treat you to lunch."

"...People are going to think I bullied you for real. You can't just walk around like that."

"People are going to see it anyway. I would rather they also see that you and I are still friends. I wouldn't want anyone to bully you for my mistakes." Munakata's words make some sense. He stands up and takes the ice pack. "Come on. I'm buying."

"...Fine, but I'm going to order the most expensive thing."

"Yes, treat yourself, I approve."

"You're impossible." He shakes his head as they leave the nurse's office.

"I try."

"It's not a compliment."

"If you're nice to me, I'll hug you again later."

Munakata's cheeky smile is disarming, but annoying. Sakakura groans because he's being teased. And even if he's happy to be treated like a friend... there's no way he's going to tell this egomaniac that.

"..." He can see the smug look on Munakata's face. Oh. Yeah.

"I'm still psychic."


	5. Know Your Audience

Seeing Munakata on stage live is different than seeing him on TV...

Seeing the way the Idols can work together and work up a crowd like that. And the way they work together in perfect harmony, despite the disparate personalities is...

"My name's Komaeda Nagito, and I'm so thrilled you'd come out to see worthless trash like me! So fortunate...!"

Komaeda speaks into his headset and the crowd goes wild. Apparently the self-deprecating emo personality is popular with people who want to protect him...? The kind of person who'd love you more than he loves himself...? Is that popular...?

"I am Tanaka Gundam... A pact written in blood stands before you... All you need do is sign to commune with me!"

Another earsplitting scream. Tanaka has the soul of a poet... a poet who probably killed jumped off a cliff and drowned himself, though. Still, the emotional, sensitive, and just a little bit weird persona... That's... also popular with people, especially those that don't feel like they fit in. It doesn't hurt that he's the SHSL Writing Prodigy, though.

"My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka!" He screams, louder than everyone so far. "And I will serve you faithfully at the cost of my own life! Both now and in the next life!"

...Is there a niche for bad boys who are actually good boys? Apparently. The crowd roars again. Then again, people do like the appeal of a supposed bad boy... who actually won't kill you... Except this one might take off some fingers if you were late for a date. Actually, there are plenty of people who go for that...

"Hey! I'm Owada Mondo... You wanna take a chance on me? Cuz it's ride or die if you go my way!"

That's obviously going to be popular. Except that hair... Are there people who actually go for pomadours anymore? That seems... unreasonable. But Owada is a pretty sold... "man's man". Maybe that's what they're into?

"I am Nidai Nekomaru! And I'm here to take care of you aaaaaaaaaaaall!" 

Nidai does give off the excitable older brother type. Muscles, charisma, always there for you... A responsible older brother. Yeah, the crowd is loving that. Even Sakakura can see the appeal... Really, if he had to pick a guy aside from...

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the show!" Munakata appears and the crowd goes insane. "My name is Munakata Kyosuke, the leader of Zenith... And we're here... to put on a show you won't soon forget! Let me hear you!!"

"You're smiling~" Yukizome smirks and leans in to whisper to him, which is actually not a "whisper" but just a regular speaking voice in the screaming crowd.

"...I am not."

"Well, not now you're not. But I saw that smile."

"This first song goes out to a very special listener here today." Munakata smiles as the crowd buzzes with excitement. "Someone who's become very important to me in my life. Someone who doesn't see much value in themselves, but I do. And that someone... Well, I'm singing for that person today. Who knows? That very, very lucky person... could even be you!"

He laughs and the crowd explodes.

So many girls around them (mostly girls anyway) are either thrumming with excitement at the idea that Munakata has maybe chosen a lucky girl, and... quite a few people are crying, or adamantly declaring that Munakata is talking about them.

...

But...

Sakakura knows the truth. And so does Yukizome.

The person that Munakata is referring to... must be him. Right? He's had to dress it up so that it looks like he's appealing to all of the crowd as individual people but...

But... He is talking about him... right?

Or is he one of the rabid fangirls that are delusionally convinced that it's them. He shouldn't be one of those people who... mistakenly attaches so much meaning onto something like that. It... could be risky to do that. It might hurt if he's wrong.

What helped him in the past, the feeling that Zenith - and Munakata - could one day be his friends for real... If he clung to it too hard, it would only keep him from growing.

But, even so... Even knowing that...

He really does want it to be about him.

~ ~ ~

After the show, they wait around for them to finish. While everyone is giving autographs, Koizumi (their manager), and Tsumiki (who'd been roped into helping with choreography) now wait there. Actually, Sakakura kind of looks like he could be their bouncer.

"I... I think the show w-went very well!" Tsumiki smiles.

"Except for that one thing in the second song, pretty much." Koizumi shakes her head. "They weren't exactly in sync... But... it's fine for now."

"Really? I... I didn't notice."

"They were your dance moves, how could you not notice?"

"I was... listening to the music, not..." Tsumiki shrieks. "Waaah! I should've been watching their feet, I'm sorry!"

"...It's fine, it's fine. It's on tape anyway... We'll just... watch it later."

...

Munakata smirks over to Yukizome and Sakakura.

"So... You guys want the backstage passes?" He smirks.

Yukizome winks at him. Is... Is that a cue?

"Riiight... Well, no. I think I'll stick around out front with the others. Don't want to... get in the way."

"Get in the way of what...?" Sakakura stares hard at her.

"Nothing, nothing. You two have fun. I'll be out here, basking in your... afterglow."

"...What the hell does that mean?!"

Almost a surprise, Munakata's hand presses against Sakakura's shoulder blades (which Sakakura wants to recoil from immediately since he's being touched) and pushes him forward. As they're leaving, there are disappointed squeals coming from the crowd.

"...It's much quieter backstage, don't worry." He says once they pass the curtains and enter the dark backstage areas.

"Your adoring fans are missing you."

"Obviously." He says, supremely arrogant as he leads Sakakura back. "...But you always leave the public wanting more. That's Rule #1."

"And what's Rule #2?"

"Rule #2 is... know your audience." Munakata smirks and leans in, dangerously close. "Did you like my dedication speech?"

"...Huh?"

"Don't tell me you missed it. At the beginning... It'd break my heart if you didn't hear me dedicate my performance to you."

"..." So... It was him. He instantly blushes and begins to smile in spite of himself.

"Hah. What an honest reaction. Were you surprised?"

"...Shut up."

"Am I teasing you too much?"

"...I... Thanks." That's all he can manage to say.

"Don't thank me yet. I'm not done."

"...Meaning what?" Sakakura is starting to get nervous as Munakata presses closer until... their pelvises are touching now. "Wh-What are you doing...?"

"...A private performance." He smirks and kisses at Sakakura's neck, which immediately makes his pants tighten in response. "...For my number one fan, Sakakura Juzo."

"W-Wait... You... You can't touch me..."

"Mm...? I can't, huh?" Munakata is smug as he begins to manhandle Sakakura, feeling at the muscles under his shirt, and pushing the tight white t-shirt up to his chin. "...And yet, here I am. Touching you. Touch... Touch, touch... Oh, look, still touching you, touch, touch, touch..."

"D-Don't... You'll... You'll get..."

"You don't really want me to stop." Munakata presses his knee up to Sakakura's groin, and begins to kiss at Sakakura's chest, teasing the nipples with his teeth. "You want me to make you feel special..."

"You'll... Y-You'll... g-get cursed..."

"I already have someone so hot and bothered he looks like he might explode in his pants before I even get there. I'll consider that a blessing, not a curse."

"P-Please... Kyosuke..."

"That's right. Call me by my first name... Tell me how much you want this."

"Kyosuke... You'll... You're going to get..."

"I'll risk it... If it's for you... Now, ask me to touch you. Ask me to kiss you... Ask me to do everything to you..."

"E-Everything?!"

"Everything..." Munakata kneels down. "We can start here..."

"Someone... S-Someone's going to see us!"

"Let them see. But the longer it takes for you to ask..." Munakata stares up at him, now waist level, hands sliding Sakakura's pants off. The wet spot's growing on his underwear as Munakata teases the shape through the fabric. "...The longer it takes for you to ask, the longer I'll be down here..."

"That's... extortion." 

Sextortion. He refuses to put that into words, Munakata would never let him hear the end of it.

"...You'd better pay up. I can do this longer than you can. But we'll work on your stamina next time..." If that were Munakata texting, there would have been a heart emoticon. Ugh. "...Come on... You're ready to burst..."

"P...Please don't... You'll be cursed..."

"I want to touch you. And I know you want me to touch you, too... Juzo."

There's a tense moment as Munakata looks up, starting to slowly tug down the waistband of Sakakura's underwear before...

Sakakura, flushed and wide-eyed... clenches his eyes shut. And nods.

He can hear the throaty chuckle come from Munakata as he...

"W-Wait... I'm...!"

~ ~ ~

...

Slowly opening his eyes, he finds himself... in his bed. And... sweaty.

At some point he must have fallen asleep. He'd been listening to music and studying but maybe the shuffle went to Zenith's songs...

And...

Sakakura sits up, and... notices the sticky, dark wet stain on his underwear.

Well. That explains being out of breath and sweaty...

"...Fuck... Really..." Sakakura mumbles and stands up. "What am I, twelve...?"

He pulls off the sticky mess and towels himself off. He's sure he can get a shower before...?

Checking the clock... he notices that... He's overslept. By at least four hours.

"...Shit. Fuck my life, really?!"

He must have been listening to music and it drowned out the alarm.

Well, fuck it. Not going to school today, apparently...

Suddenly, he hears his phone start to ring.

Naked from the waist down (which is fine, it's just a phone call), he reaches for his phone and...

"...Munakata."

"Sakakura. You're alive." Munakata's smile is evident through the phone. "...Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah. I... just overslept."

"You sure? You sound... out of breath. Did you catch a cold?"

"I'm not sick."

"Oh. Well, that's good... Maybe you're out of breath because you just had a sexy dream~"

"..."

He has to momentarily hold the phone away from his ear because... There's... There's no way he'd actually know that. It's... Oh God. Well, NOW he knows...

"...Oh my God. You did?"

"No." He lies. Badly.

"Mmhmm..." Munakata smirks. "And I wasn't even using my psychic powers that time... Or was I...?"

There's some childish laughter like something a cartoon villain would do.

"I didn't!"

"I hope I made a cameo in your sexy dream..."

"Go die."

"That's not very nice, Sakakura... Maybe I'll need to punish you..."

"I'm hanging up now, you ass!"

"Wait, don't hang up yet!" Munakata clears his throat. "I'm glad you're not sick. If you need me to give you the notes or anything, let me know."

"..." That... is nice of him. "Yeah, thanks."

"I don't want you to fall too far behind in your studies."

"...Thank you."

"And if you want, I can tutor you in anatomy~"

"We were having a moment. And you ruined it. Goodbye."

"Dream of me again, soon!"

"Fuck off, man-whore."

"Text me what time you want to meet up to go over what you missed."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks, and fuck you, bye."

Click.

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as kind of a joke based on Sakakura's terrible luck and the way he's juxtaposed with Naegi who always had really good luck. And now... this is happening.
> 
> Doesn't the plot sort of seem like a manga? Is that just me?


End file.
